Circular-knitting machine.



No. 759,928. l PATBNTED MAY 17, 1904. W. STAFFORD A. R. o. IIoLT. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

. APPLIoATIoN FILED 1112.27. 190e. -No Monm..

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` No. 759,928. PRTRNTRD'MAY 17, i904. .f' W. STAFFORD C R. C. HC'LT.

CIRCULAR KNITTINC MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 27. 1903. N0 MODEL. y

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APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1903.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

VALTER STAFFORD AND ROBERT C. HOLT, OF LITTLEFALLS, NEW' YORK.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forminggpart of Letters Patent No. 759,928, dated May 1'7, 1904.

Application filed February 27, 1903. Serial No. 145,314. (No model.)

To all whom, t puny concern:

Be it known that we, WALTER STAFFORD and ROBERTO. Hom, citizens of the United States, residing at Littlefalls, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented new and useful YImprovements inCircular-Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in circular-knitting machines; and we declare that the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description thereof suiiicient to enable one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being `had to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters and figures refer to like parts throughout.

Our in vcntion is exhibited in the form, construction, and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter described and shown and which we illustrate as applied to a multiple-feed machine, which is to say that several threads are shown as being fed at the same time to the needles.

The particular purpose of our invention is to produce a circular-rib-knitting machine in which certain of the needles of one set-preferably, for instance, the dial-needlesY-can be made some of them to knit plain, others to cause a tuck-stitch to be made, and some to skip the thread delivered from the same feed to such needles successively and at the same revolution of the machine andV by which any number of such stitches .may be produced at the same point and by which the stitch may be changed from one to anotherform or kind at any point of the operation.

Heretofore machines have been made which will produce tuck-stitches by any desired number of dial-needles and plain stitches by the remainder; but our improvement is in constructing the machine so that in addition to this any of the dial-needles can be made to skip the stitch entirely by preventing the yarn on certain feeds going into these needles and producing on circular-rib machmes a fabrlc lwhich it has been possible heretofore to make only on a straight machine and which is a combination of plain, welt, and tuck stitches. By our improvement 1t 1s possible to combine ing the position of the main parts.

these three forms in any way desired, and we are able to produce a great variety of fabrics by the arrangement and combination of stitches. As different-colored yarns may be used on the feeds and each needle may be operated to produce a desired stitch at any feed, certain colors may be given prominence and the variety of effects be enlarged. I

Where we speak of a needle making a tuckstitch or l welt-stitch, we wish to be understood as meaning that the needle is operated at that point in the operation to tuck the thread or to skip the thread, though properly the stitch is not completed until combined with the succeeding plain stitch formed by that needle-w'. e., the needle is operated to take a thread without casting its old loop or to miss the thread without casting its loop instead of casting an old loop over a new loop to form a plain stitch. i

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of an ordinary circular-knitting machine, show- Fig. 2 is a top View of the cam-plate, illustrating the operative connections of the cams. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same, showing the construction and arrangement of the cams. Fig. 4 is an obverse view of one of the throat-cams, and Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the same. Fig. 6 illustrates a style of fabric produced by our improved machine. Fig. 7 shows in greater detail the means which we have employed for y connecting the throat-cams with the particular pattern mechanism which we illustrate in this application of our invention.`

Referring to the figures more in detail, A represents the base of such machine, supported by the-standards B. Seated on the base is the movable'frame O, which supports the ordinary mechanism for drawing the fabric D from the machine asit is knitted, but which it is unnecessary to illustrate. On the base are standards L c, which support theplate A', in which certain of the knitting' parts revolve. i

YE is the revolving cylinder, which carries the vertical needles e e and which is actuated through gear F on shaft f; which also supports the pulleys j", through which the power is transmitted.

G is the dial, which is grooved radially in y dial.

the usual manner, as illustrated at g, thereby providing closures in which the horizontal needles play in and out, and which dial revolves with the cylinder.

E is the cam-ring, which is xed and with-in which the cylinder revolves.

rlhe standards a a' support above the plate A' the cross-head I, and the standards a a support above all the frame A on which the yarn spools and other ordinary parts are placed and from which the threads pass down, as shown by j, to the guides 1, whence they are fed to the needles. In Fig. 3 we show the position of six guides and feeds, each coniprising the same parts as are illustrated in Fig. 1, each being located with the proper mounting and adjacent to the tliroat-cams 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11, as at 17, 27, 37, 47, 57, and 67, Fig. 3, so that the thread is fed to the needles at that point in the revolution of the It will be obvious that dierent-colored yarn may be supplied to the different feeds.

L is the cam-plate, which is mounted by the hub l and set-screw Z/ on the vertical shaft H.

On one side of the plate A is illustrated the fixed bracket M, which holds the toothwheels (shown by N) over which pass the patternchains N, the links of which govern the position of anglev -arms O, which are also supported in the bracket. The pattern-chains may be operated by means which are well known in the art. These parts are illustrated in patents to Nye, Nos. 316,907, 498,139, and 556,514, and to McMichael, No. 508,965. To the upper end of each arm we adj ustably attach rods P, which connect with the throat-cams, as hereinafter shown, and operate the same according to the construction of the patternchains. It will be und'erstoodthat there is a tooth-wheel and pattern-chain and proper connecting means therefrom to each throat-cam. On the under face oi' the cam-plate are fixed elevated strips oi' cams which abut substantially end to end and form ring-like structures around the plate. There are six such structures of different diameter, but each having the same central point. The use of the cams here referred to holds the needles in the field of operation and conducts them to the following throat-cams: We show long and short needles,rthe dierence being in the length oi' the shank between the hook and heel. The use of the long and short needles and their projection or retraction by the fixed cams Vis not here claimed to be a new feature, but the construction will be plain to one who is skilled in the art. The heels of the short needles pass between the outer two annular cam sets or rings, and the heels of the long needles pass between the inner two. The cam-plate being stationary and thedial revolving, the needles in the grooves of the dial, some oi' which are long and some short, play in and out, so that the construction and position of the cams disposes the needle which comes to each cam to take a position and make a plain stitch when in outermost position, a welt-stitcli when in innermost position, and a tuck-stitch when in intermediate position, according as determened by the pattern mechanism. These cams we represent as being fixed to the camplate; but, in tact, they are or may be so fastened as to be adjustable to a certain extent, which, however, it is not necessary to point out with particularity.`

. The needles can be grouped in any order desired, being put alternately long and short, or 1 to 3, 2 to 2, or any other combinations, and they may be arranged with greater or less space between them, according to the radial grooves of the dial. Y

In the machine illustrated in the drawings there are supposed to be siX feeds, Nos. 17 27, &c., to 67, respectively, opposite each cam 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11, and accordingly the camplate shows six radial sections, and in each of thek sections the cams may be. arranged to give the under passing needle, the position necessary to cause a plain,'welt, vor tucked stitch to ybe made, aselsewhere defined, it being understood that each needle whose heel passes along a given course or path will be set to do -the like work as many times in a complete revolution of the dial as there are radial sections of the same, provided, however, that the radial sections are exact duplicates of each other. A given cani need not, however, have the same position in each radial section; but

in one section its position may be such as to cause the abutting needle to make a certain stitch, and. in another section the same needle may be caused to make a different stitch, ac-

cording as the cam-dial is constructed. /Ve have reference here only to what may be called the Afixed cams, which it is plain may be so constructed that the abutting needle will y take the positions which are necessary to cooperate with other parts to knit a plain, a tuck, or a welt stitch, as the case may be, and which construction and arrangement may be applied at any point in the cam-dial. Such a construction, however, permits of no variations of the work done while the machine is in operation. n

In the outer needle-path we provide-throatcams, (shown with odd numbers 1 to 11,) and in the inner path we provide similar cams, (even numbers 2 to 12.) Near that end or' the cam which is iirst reached by the needle in the revolution of the dial each is pivoted, as

' shown at y, the other end of each cam being IOO IIO

The free end of each throat-cam has a stud, (illustrated at 01,) which projects upward through the cam-plate, which is suitably slotted at fr for the movement of the stud fr, which is engaged on the top of the plate by a strip s, which slides on the face of the plate. Certain of thesest'rips may be moved by ,rods l) without the intervention .of other parts, the said rods P each" passing from its operative connection with the throatecam to one of the levers O. Others of the throat-cams are moved through means of" annular sectors t t, which are slidingly' mounted about the shaft H. LThey are formedfin an inner and outer series, and to the formerare connected strips which actuate the innerfthroat-cams, and to the latter are likewise? connected the strips which operate the outer= throat-cams. The rods lJ are pivotally connected to the annular sections and are adjustabliy attached to the other end, each to one of the angle-arms O. Each throat-cam is thus `independently operated according to the design..,of its patternchain. The pattern-chains mfay be operated on the tooth-wheels byany proper mechanism, of which we makerno showing, as proper methods are well knownin the art.

Each throat-cam canpbe moved while the machine is at work by; its own separate connection with its own pattern-chain and independently of each other throat-cam. As each needle comes to each throat-cam it may be projected so that it will c ast off and make a plain stitch, or it may be projected a lesser distance and a tuck-stitch be made, or it may be withdrawn and not take; thread and permit the makingI of a welt-stitch. These cams may be moved in unison, and the needles against one set of cams all Inalegthe same kind of stitch, or the cams may V.be moved oppositely, and thus make different stitches, or some can be moved one way and, some another, any one or more of the twelvethroat-cams in any one of the three positionsfor any number of revolutions or part of arevolution of the machine. Each cam may be changed at any time in the operation to any.; one of its three possible positi ons. So, too, the needles operated by these cams may be arranged i any desired way or` with any desired space between them, governed only bythe radial spaces of the dialplate. It willthus be seen that we have produced an improved machine in which the stitches formed by the needles may be changed in any desired manner by the disposition of the throatcams during the operation of the inachine,`,and it will be obvious that we have thus made it possible to produce fabrics of a very large variety, grouping the possible kinds of stitches according to any desired pattern.

We will now describe the operation of the machine in the production of one kind of fabric, which may be called pineapple pattern, it being a pattern or design which it has heretofore been impossible to produce on a circular-knitting machine.

By reference to Fig. 3 it is seen that cams l, 2, 3, and 4. are so placed that the abutting needles cast off old loops and knit plain and the cams 5, 7, 9, and ll are causing the needlcs passing therethrough to tuck, while cams 6, 8, l0, and l2 are causing their needles to be withdrawn, so as not to take thread. The cams are assumed to retain such position during one revolution of the machine. The effeet is that needle In?, for instance, at cam l has taken the thread and is projected so far that the threads heretofore on the needle have been passed inward of the latch. The needle being' withdrawn, as illustrated at n, it hasY cast off the stitches it had at a, but has retained the stitch which it there took. Then it comes to cam 3, it casts off and takes another yarn, which it holds. The same work is done by the succeeding needles as they pass through cams l, 2, 3, and L At each such point in the fabric, therefore, the work done by the needle which formed the fabric at that point has been plain stitching or casting oli", and we have in one revolution a row of such work made up of a number of stitches limited by the cams doing plain work. The needles m mm then come to cam 6, where they are fully retracted, and the stitch taken at earn 4 is withdrawn by the needle, and the knitting is done by the other set of needles, which results in forming a welt-stitch, the thread taken by the needle m at the point t being held in the inner surface of the fabric and prominence being given to the stitches formed by the other needles. This operation is repeated, or rather the condition is maintained, while these needles pass through cams 8, l0, and l2. While this is going on needles a of, are passing through cams 5, 7, 9, and 11, which are in one position and accordingly doing like Work. lVhile passing through these cams each of these needles is partly projected, so that it takes the additional yarns fed at each of these points and holds them in the eye of the needle until it comes again to cam l, when it has taken four such additional threads and is projected, so as to cast ofi' the accumulated threads or yarns and make a newloop of the thread taken at cam 1. This operation is called tuck-stitching, and it has brought toward one surface of the fabric the threads taken at points 5, 7, 9, and 1l, throwinginto prominence on the other face of the fabric the thread taken atl and 3. The effect is that we have produced in one operation of the machine a layer or row of plain stitches, above which are four welt-stitches together, and next laterally are four tuck-stitches. After one revolution the throat-cams 5,7, 9, and 11 are shifted to welting position, and the throatcams 6, 8, 10, and l2 are shifted to tucking position, cams l, 2, 3, and 4 remaining fixed. This produces the result of a row of plain IOO ILO

stitches next to the row of alternate tuck and welt, after which is knitted a row of alternate welt and tuck stitches, the welt-stitches being grouped in diagonal rows in reference to each other, the tuck-stitchesv representing diagonally-arranged interstices or depressions. At the third revolution the cams are shifted to the first position, and the work goes on in that way as long as may be, desired or any or all of the cams may be changed in any desired manner. As above indicated, diferent colored threads maybe fed at ditlerent points, and by the arrangement of the throat-cams and the disposition of the needles in the dial a vast number of patterns may be produced, it being possible to produce a fabric which has in the same course a tuck-stitch, a plain stitch, and a welt-stitch, or any number of each in any order or arrangement or duplication.

Instead of producing what we have called a pineapple or diagonally-tufted fabric we may have the tufts arranged in vertical rows or horizontal rows interspersed with such variety of stitches' as may be desired, bringing any color into prominence as may be suitable and employing, if desired, six different colors in the machine here illustrated.

W'e do not limit ourselves to the illustration which we have made of our devicev nor to the style of machine ornumber of cams and feeds exhibited, as our improvement is capable of various applications and in different forms and positions without departure from the spirit and scope of our invention.

It will be understood that one set of needles, preferably the cylinder-needles, is knitting continuously on every feed, and the yarn fed to them is carried by them into the hooks of the dial-needles that are tucking or knitting.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a circular-knitting machine, a dial, needles thereon of different length, a cam-plate, cams thereon constructed to provide paths for the engagement of the heel of the different length needles, throat-cams pivotally mounted in sets on the cam-plate, one of each set in each heel-path on substantially the same radial line of the cam-plate, said sets of throatcams being duplicated on different radial lines of the cam-plate to the same number of sets as the yarn-feeds, yarn-feeds, pattern-chains, means-for operating the same, operative connections between the pattern-chains and the throat-cams there being a pattern-chain and connection for each single throat-cam, each throat-cam being independently adjustable by its pattern-chain to shift the interpassing needles into operative position to knit, to receive thread but not knit, or to hold its loop without receiving new thread, in combination, substantially as described.

2. In a circular-knitting machine, a dial, long and short needles disposed therein, a

cam-plate, cams seated -thereon providing an inner and an outerheel-path for the needles said cam-plate being constructed in aseries of duplicate sectors, a throat-cam provided in each sector and in each path, the said throatcams being pivoted at one end `and provided with a path for needle-heels therethrough, means for adjusting' each throat-cam to operate in the making of a plain, a tuck or a welt stitch and to adjust adjacent needles of diitferent form to either of such positions, said adjusting means comprising pattern-chains and operative connections between the patternchains and the throat-cams and means for operating the pattern-chains, in combination, substantially as described.

3. In a circular-knitting machine, a dial, needles therein, `the said needles being provided with heels traveling in different annular paths, a cam-plate, cams provided thereon engaging therebetween the needle-heels in each path, the construction and arrangement of said cams being duplicated in several equal sectors of the cam-plate, a yarn-feed provided for the needles in each sector of the cam-plate, throat cams having longitudinal grooves therethrough disposed one in each heel-path in each sector of the cam-plateand adjacent to the radial line between the center of the cam-plate and the yarn-feed, pattern-controlling means, operative means for shifting according to the form of the pattern-controlling means the position of each throat-cam to cause the needle passing therethrough to take the position necessary to knit, to receive thread but not knit, or hold its loop without receiving new thread, in combination, substantially as described.

4. In a circular-rib-knittingmachine, a dial, dial-needles of different forms adapted to operate therein, a cam-plate provided with a series of annular cams of different mean diameters adapted to engage the heels of the needles of the several forms and project or retract the same in the revolution of the machine, the cam-plate being made up of like sectors and the said cams being duplicated in each of said sectors, a yarn-feed provided for each sector, a throat-cam having a slotted needle-heel path therethrough in each needle-path and in each sector of the cam-plate, each said throat-cam being adjustable to dispose each needle passing through its heel-path relative to its adjacent yarn-feed and irrespective of the movement of the adjacent needles, means for maintaining a given position of each throat-cam for a given period of work and for changing its position during the continuous operation of the machine according to a pattern-controller, a pattern-controller, operative connections between each throat-cam and its proper patterncontroller, in combination, substantially as de`- scribed.

5. In a circular-knitting machine, provided with a dial, pattern-chains, means for operating the same, needles of different length and IOO IIO

IIS

a cam-plate provided with an annular groove for Ithe heels of each set of needles, a plurality of throat-cams, each provided with a needleheel groove therethrough, disposed in equal sectors of the cam-plate, one of such throatcams beingin the heel-path of each length needle and radially adjacent, the said throatcams being adjustable to dispose adjacent needles to di'erent operative positions to cause aV plain, a tuck or a welt stitch to be made by one or more needles in the operation of the machine, means for adjusting the throat-cams comprising operative connections between each and its proper pattern-chain, substantiall y as described.

6. In a circular-knitting machine provided with a cylinder, a dial, pattern devices, means for operating the same and a cam-plate provided with annular grooves for the heels of different length needles, cams constructed with heel-controlling grooves therethrough, pivotally mounted on the cam-plate in pairs adjacent to the radial line between the center of the cam-plate and the yarn-feed there being a yarn-feed for each such pair of throat-cams, said yarn-feeds,operative connections between each throat-cam and its proper pattern device to shift each throat-cam separately to dispose the through-passing needles to skip or to take the yarn of the adjacent feed, in combination, substantially as described.

7. ln a circular-rib-knitting machine provided with a cylinder, a dial, a cam-plate provided with inner and outer needle heel grooves, pattern-chains and means for operating the same, a plurality of throat-cams constructed with grooves therethrough for the passage of needle-heels, the said throat-cams being' seated one in the path of each needle and at different radial distances from the center of the cam-plate, needles arranged with their heels in the inner and outer heel-grooves, operative connections between each throatcam and its pattern-chain to shift each throatcam to cause one interpassing needle to ship the yarn from the adjacent feed and a succeeding needle to knit such yarn from the same feed, such needles being oi a length to travel some in each of such needle-heel paths, substantially as described.

8. In a continuous rotary knitting-machine provided with a cylinder and cylinder-needles, pattern wheels and chains and means for operating the same, a dial with diiierent length needles interposed therein, and a cam-plate, the combination of pivotally-mounted throatcams arranged in pairs on the cam-plate there being one pair for each duplicate sector of the cam-plate, duplicate sectors of the cam-plate, means for adjusting the throat-cams independently of each other to either of their operative positions at any instant in the revolution of the dial to shift the needles passing therethrough to their proper position in the making of a plain, a tuck, or a welt stitch, said means comprising operative connections between the pattern-chains and the throatcams, in combination, substantially as described.

9. In a knitting-machine, a plurality et' yarn-feeds, a dial, needles of a plurality of forms therein, cams engaging the heels of each form of needle, a plurality ol throat-cams for each yarn-feed pivotally mounted to project or retract each needle independently to cooperate in making a plain, a tuck or welt stitch, operative means to projector retract the throat-cams, said means comprising' a pattern device and connections therefrom to each throat-cam, in combination, substantially as shown.

VALTER STAFFORD. ROBERT C. HOLT. Witnesses:

RUDOLPH HoRwALD, H ENRY CHENEY. 

